Leaders gather for BBC Question Time event in Leeds

Prime Minister David Cameron speaks to the crowd during a walkabout in the centre of Wetherby on Thursday morning

David Cameron,Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg are due to face David Dimbleby and a Question Time audience at Leeds Town Hall.

The leaders will not face each other during the 90 minute event, but the BBC has insisted the show will have an “old time hustings” feel to it.

The three leaders will not be on stage at the same time and will not debate directly with one another.

Labour leader Ed Miliband holds a 'People's Question Time' at Dewsbury Town Hall on Thursday

Each will face 30 minutes of questions on a range of issues posed by a studio audience

Viewers will be able to see the three gave their answers on BBC One from 8pm. Journalists from across the country have gathered in the nearby Leeds Art Gallery where the political spinners will defend their man’s performance.

David Cameron broke from the carefully controlled election campaign to meet voters on walkabout in Wetherby before rallying Tory supporters.

Meanwhile Mr Miliband has insisted the offer of a head-to-head debate with Mr Cameron remains on the table until election day.

Mr Miliband accused the premier “running away” from a direct clash and claimed it was not a “great sign of leadership”.

During a question-and-answer session in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, he said: “I’m sorry David Cameron is refusing to debate me head to head. The offer is going to remain on the table until election day if he changes his mind.

“We should have that debate and I think that’s the debate the British people deserve.

“I don’t think it’s a great sign of leadership that he is running away from that debate.”

Under plans devised by broadcasters, the Conservative and Labour leaders would have gone up against each other tonight.

The programme is being broadcast live from 8pm to 9.30pm on BBC1 and BBC Radio 5 Live, and highlights will be repeated on the BBC News Channel at 9.30pm on Thursday and 8.30am on Friday.

Later, there will be three special programmes broadcast on BBC1 in different parts of the UK, in which SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood and Nigel Farage of Ukip will each answer voters’ questions for half an hour.

These shows will air at 9.30pm in Scotland, and 10.50pm in England and Wales.